13/05/2026
E te whānau me ngā hoa aroha,
Kua hinga te tōtara nui o te wao nui a Tāne.
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Nathan Zackaria Rei - whānau of Ngāti Tama. He passed peacefully, surrounded by those who love him dearly.
Pānui from his whānau below;
He was a loving father, a proud Koro, and an uncle not only to his own Tamariki, nieces and nephews, but to just about every kid who crossed his path. Children were drawn to him everywhere he went in the world, and he loved them right back – with humor, patience, mischief, warmth, and curiosity. Somehow, no matter where he travelled, he always found the kids, and they always seemed to find him too.
A lover of music, a kaiwhakairo, a traveller, a storyteller, a man who truly lived. He experienced life deeply – the beauty of it, the hardship of it, the adventure of it, and the fight within it.
And he fought.
He battled in ways many people will never fully understand. With strength, stubbornness, fire, and heart. But eventually he was tired of fighting. He was ready. And in the end, there was peace.
We take comfort in knowing he leaves behind the things he loved – his art, his stories, his music, his travels, and the memories he left with the people whose lives he touched along the way.
He carved his mark into this world in more ways than one.
Rest now, Dad. You’ve done enough fighting.
Kei te tangi hotuhotu te ngākau, engari kei te mōhio mātou kua hoki ia ki te kāinga tūturu, ki ōna tīpuna.
Dad will be making his way to Takapuwahia Marae at 3.30 today (Tuesday 12 May 2026)
Rā nehu, Thursday 14 May 2026, 11am, Takapūwāhia Marae
Moe mai rā e te pāpā, haere, haere, haere atu rā 🤍
25 November 1963 – 11 May 2026
